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DJI-NEW YORK, Feb 10 (Reuters) - U.S. stocks dipped on Wednesday as worries over Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke's strategy after the economy recovers offset optimism about a possible rescue for debt-burdened Greece.

Trading volume was light, with many participants leaving early because of an East Coast snowstorm.

The French daily Le Monde wrote that France and Germany were set to present a plan at a European Union summit on Thursday aimed at preventing Greece from going bankrupt.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> was down 20.26 points, or 0.20 percent, at 10,038.38. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> was down 2.39 points, or 0.22 percent, at 1,068.13. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> was down 3.00 points, or 0.14 percent, at 2,147.87.

NYMEX-NEW YORK, Feb 10 (Reuters) - U.S. crude futures gained for a third day in a row on Wednesday, lifted by an upbeat government global oil demand growth estimate for this year and as improving technical support spurred further fund buying.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration raised its 2010 forecast by 120,000 barrels per day to 1.2 million bpd in its latest outlook.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange, March crude settled up 77 cents, or 1.04 percent, at $74.52 a barrel, trading from $72.60 to $74.97. It gained $3.33, or 4.68 percent in three days, so far the longest winning span since the last big winning streak of 10 days between Dec. 22 to Jan. 6, during which front-month crude gained $10.71 or 14.8 percent.

Upcoming Chinese New Year's celebration could lead to slow dealings with China during next week.

SOYBEANS - March up 13 cents at $9.37-1/2 a bushel. Market rallies as crude oil prices turn higher. Traders note some short-covering with firm

SOYOIL - March down 0.11 cent at 38.27 cents a lb.

FCPO-JAKARTA, Feb 10 (Reuters) - Malaysian palm oil futures closed little changed on Wednesday after a cargo surveyor's estimate of a big jump in Feb. 1-10 exports offset the negative impact of a smaller-than-expected drop in palm oil stock, traders said.

The Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Exchange will be closed next Monday and Tuesday. The benchmark April contract on the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Exchange edged up 2 ringgit to 2,563 ringgit ($747.45) per tonne. Traded volume was 11,661 lots of 25 tonnes each.

REGIONAL EQUITIES-COLOMBO, Feb 10 (Reuters) - Some Southeast Asian stock markets rose on Wednesday as worries about euro zone debt and the global economic recovery subsided, but Singapore and Indonesia retreated.

European governments have agreed in principle to help heavily indebted Greece, a senior German coalition source said, in what would be the first rescue of a euro zone member in the currency's 11-year history.

Thailand <.SETI> gained 0.4 percent, while Malaysia rose <.KLSE> 1 percent. The Philippines <.PSI> and Vietnam <.VNI> gained 2.1 percent and 1.7 percent respectively.

But Singapore's Straits Times Index <.FTSTI> fell 0.4 percent, led by banking shares, with top lender DBS Group falling 1.5 percent and United Overseas Bank 1.9 percent.

Malaysia <.KLSE> rose, led by Malayan Banking Bhd (Maybank) with a 1.8 percent gain after the country's top lender posted a 35 percent rise in net profit a day earlier.